Dry cleaning washer and the like



June 20, 1933. T P WER 1,914,616

DRY CLEANING WASHER AND THE LIKE Filed Magch 1'7, 1930 ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES Ni" OFF-ice THOMAS J. POWER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO UNITED STATES HOFFMAN IVIACI-IINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

COB]? ORATION OF DELAWARE Application filed March 17, 1930. Serial No. 436,328.

' explosion door at the rear of the washer with an arm which serves to support the main door when that door is open, and to initiate a closing movement of the main door in the event of an explosion while the main door is open.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic cross section through a washer drum embodying this invention.

The washer drum is designated at 1 and the a cylinder therein is shown in outline at 2. The top 3 which covers the drum 1 is pro vided with two distinct door openings separated by a frame member 4 to which the main or front door 5 is pivoted at 6 and the rear or explosion door is pivoted at 7 One or the other of the doors is provided with an arm which defines the minimum angle between the doors. In the particular device il1ustrated, the arm 8 is attached to the explosion door and the design is such that in the open position of the front or main door 5, the center of gravity of such door will just cross a vertical line above hinge 6 d before the door rests against arm 8. It will be obvious that any explosion occurring within drum 1 will lift the explosion door, thereby causing arm 8 to tilt the main door 5 sufficiently to cause it to fall by gravity to its closed position.

While the main door will stand open without support, the explosion door will not. It is so designed that it always tends to fall closed by gravity inasmuch as the arm 8 limits the opening movement of the door to a degree such that the center of gravity of the door does not reach a vertical line through the hinge 7 It is, however, always free to open to release products of combustion and, having released such'products, it will'fall to its closed position to smother any fire existing within the drum.

.lVhen the, main door 5 is shut either manually or as the result of explosion, it is locked in its closed position by means of the ordinary spring catch 10 which engages latch plate 11 subject to release by the handle 12.

It will be obvious that an operator is given comparatively great protection inthe use of a machine of this type. During operation of the cylinder-'2, the door 5 is always looked and any flame escaping from the machine must necessarily escape at the rear under circumstances such that the lifted explosion door protects the operator. If, as rarely happens, the fire or explosion occurs when the front door is resting open, such door will be closedby the explosion and locked. afterwhichany further escape of gases will take placeat the rear. The ultimate result of fire orexplosion is to leave all doors closed thereby smothering combustion.

1. A- dry cleaning washer comprising a drum provided with doors centrally pivoted to open-upwardly from front and rear sides of the drum, the rear door comprising a selfclosing door permanently unlocked and the front door being provided with a self-acting latch mechanism whereby to be locked when closed.

2. A device of the character described comprising a drum having centrally pivoted doors with margins seating at the front and rear sides of the drum, the rear door comprising a self-closing door and the front door eing movable to a position in which it will tend to remain open, one of said doors being provided with an arm projecting in the direction of the other door and adapted to limit their mutual angular approach whereby the opening of the rear door will project the open forward door toward its closed position.

3. A device of the character described comprising a cylinder having centrally pivoted front and rear doors, the former being provided with a latch and the latter being permanently free to open, and an arm upon one of said doors projecting toward the other and adapted to limit the angular approach of the doors to each other, the front door being adapted for support by said arm in an open position and the rear'door being limited thereby to a position in which it is self closing.

4. Ina dry cleaning washer, the combina tion'with a drum, of a pair of doors guided for opening and closing movement with respect to the drum, one of the doors being provided with a self-actin g latch and adjustable to an open position in which it tendsto I 1 remain, the other of said doors being free to open at all times and being limited to a range of movement in which it invariably tends to close when opened, and motion transmitting means actuated by an opening movement of the free door for dislodging the door with the latch from the position in which it tends to remain. a

5. A dry cleaning washer comprising a cylinder, a drum enclosing said cylinder, a pair of doors pivoted on said drum with their hinge lines in substantial parallelism and disposed so that the doors swing toward each other in opening and away from each other in closing, self-acting locking means on one ofesaid'doors, and means carried by one of said doors forpreventing the door without looking means from swinging past a vertical planepassing through and defined by its own hinge line. a I

6. A dry cleaning washer comprisinga cylinder. a drum enclosing said cylinder, a pair of doors pivoted on said drum and disposed so that they swing toward each other in opening and away from each other in closing,

self-acting locking means for one of said doors, and the other of said doors being free to open and constructed and arranged to be biased to closed position at all times.

1 THOMAS J. POWER. 

